Galle wins Super Provincial 50 over final with Upul Tharanga making a century

Upul Tharanga led from the front with a superb captains knock of 124 off 122 balls to guide Galle to the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Super Provincial 50 Over Tournament Championship registering a 75-run triumph over Colombo in the final played at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. Galle batting first, after winning the toss posted a mammoth 320 for 7 wickets in 50 overs and bowled out Colombo for 245 in 44. 2 overs.

Tharanga’s knock which saw 13 boundaries and 3 sixes was the ideal sparkling Player of the Final stuff for Galle to front the final on an ominous note to pocketing the prestigious winner’s trophy and Rs.1 million prize money. Runners-up Colombo won a prize money of Rs.750, 000/=. Colombo’s all-round batsman Shehan Jayasuriya was adjudged the Player of the Series.

Tharanga was associated in a 125-run alliance for the second wicket with Sadeera Samarawickrema who made 62 off 71 balls with 4 boundaries. Pick of the bowlers for Colombo was Lakshan Sandakan with 4 for 66.

Colombo, though lost their way from 88 for 2 in 4.2 overs with Shehan Jayasuriya showing the way but slipped to 147 for 5 in 24.3 overs. Jayasuriya went on to make 51 off 40 balls hitting 9 boundaries. Colombo did get a whiff of a chance recovering to 182 for 6 before Angelo Perera lost his nerve and lost his wicket when looking wet on 40 when his skipper Thisara Perera on the other end needed solid support to turn the match their way. Kamindu Mendis, promoted to No.3 did a good job steadying the innings but he too lost his cool and the wicket, when going for a big hit when patience was the name of the game at 112 for 3. Galle’s match winning bowlers in Malinda Pushpakumara who claimed 3 for 31, Nishan Peiris 3 for 57 and Dasun Shanaka 2 for 24.